Branching strategies are essential in Docs as Code for enabling smooth collaboration, parallel updates, and efficient content management. While developers have long used branching to separate features, fixes, and releases, documentation teams can benefit from similar techniques to improve version control, handle urgent updates, and align content with product releases. Below, we explore three advanced branching strategies—release branches, feature branches, and hotfix branches—and how they empower documentation teams to deliver more precise, organized, and timely content.
Advanced Branching Strategies for Documentation
In a Docs as Code workflow, the main branch (often named main or master) serves as the stable, production-ready branch of documentation. Using specialized branches allows writers to work on new features, hotfixes, and version-specific documentation updates without impacting the main branch. Let’s dive into how each branching strategy works in detail.
Release Branches
Release branches are ideal for managing version-specific documentation that needs to remain stable and distinct from ongoing development. This strategy is especially helpful when:
| Use Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Supporting Long-Term Releases | Create branches to track documentation for each major release (for example, release/2.1 or release/3.0). This helps maintain a stable version history, making it easy to refer back to specific documentation as customers continue using older versions. This strategy supports customers who rely on long-term supported product versions. |
| Preparing New Documentation Releases | When a product update is in development, create a new release branch to draft and revise documentation for the upcoming version. This approach allows writers to work on new content for the upcoming release without impacting the current documentation on the main branch, preserving stability while preparing future-ready content. |
How to Use Release Branches:
- Create a release branch from the main branch when a new version of the product is under development (for example,
release/2.1). - Writers draft and finalize version-specific documentation in this branch, collaborating on any new features or changes tied to that release.
- Once the product is released, merge the release branch back into the main branch, making the latest documentation live.
Advantages: Release branches ensure that all documentation associated with a product version remains separate and organized. They also allow writers to create new content for the upcoming version without affecting the current documentation, enabling clear historical tracking of each version’s documentation.
Feature Branches
Feature branches are powerful tools for managing larger updates to the documentation, particularly when multiple writers are working on different aspects of the content. Each feature branch is dedicated to a specific addition or update, allowing writers to experiment and make changes without impacting others.
Feature branches are useful for:
| Use Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Adding New Sections | When a new product feature is introduced, create a feature branch (for example, feature/user-profiles-docs) to develop its corresponding documentation. This allows writers to work independently on documenting the feature, gather feedback, and make iterative improvements until it’s ready for release, ensuring that the main branch remains unaffected by ongoing changes. |
| Reorganizing Content | For major content overhauls, such as restructuring sections or changing formatting standards, use a feature branch to isolate these changes (for example, feature/restructure-docs). This keeps experimental or large-scale updates separate from the main branch, preserving the stability of published documentation while changes are refined and tested. |
How to Use Feature Branches:
- Create a new feature branch off the main branch with a descriptive name (for example,
feature/advanced-settings-guide). - Develop the new content independently. This may involve collaboration with product developers, product managers, or other writers.
- Once the feature documentation is complete and reviewed, merge the feature branch back into the main branch.
Advantages: Feature branches provide writers with the flexibility to make extensive changes without risking disruptions to the live documentation. It’s a great way to manage multi-writer collaboration while keeping the main branch clean and stable.
Hotfix Branches
In documentation, as with code, urgent updates often arise that require immediate fixes—whether it’s to correct inaccurate information, fix broken links, or address critical user feedback. For these cases, hotfix branches are invaluable. A hotfix branch allows writers to address these urgent needs quickly and efficiently.
Common scenarios for hotfix branches include:
| Use Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Correcting Errors | When an error is discovered in the published documentation, create a hotfix branch to apply the correction quickly. This enables teams to make prompt, targeted updates without waiting for the next scheduled release, ensuring accurate information is available to users as soon as possible. |
| Addressing Customer Feedback | If a user or customer identifies an issue in the documentation, a hotfix branch allows for immediate adjustments. This ensures that feedback is addressed swiftly, improving the quality and reliability of the documentation without disrupting other planned updates or waiting for the next release cycle. |
How to Use Hotfix Branches:
- Create a hotfix branch from the main branch with a descriptive name (for example,
hotfix/incorrect-installation-instructions). - Apply the necessary changes or corrections within this branch.
- After reviewing the changes, merge the hotfix branch back into the main branch to make the fix live.
Advantages: Hotfix branches allow for immediate, targeted updates without disrupting ongoing work in feature or release branches. They ensure that critical corrections are made quickly, helping maintain the quality and reliability of the documentation.
Making Docs as Code Work for You
Branching strategies in Docs as Code bring a higher level of organization and flexibility to documentation workflows. Release, feature, and hotfix branches enable documentation teams to work collaboratively, handle urgent updates efficiently, and maintain clear version control. By implementing these branching strategies, documentation teams can fully integrate with development workflows, providing accurate, versioned, and high-quality content that meets user needs. Whether you’re part of a small doc team or collaborating with a large, cross-functional group, adopting these strategies can transform your documentation processes, bringing greater control, stability, and adaptability to your work.
Double Yew! 